WHOLANTA Countdown

I'm super excited to be a vendor at Wholanta. I've never sold at anything but craft fairs so I am wanting to expand to selling at more conventions every year. I am working my way to getting an RV and traveling across the country to attend more events. Doctor Who cosplay Sock Monkeys will be available after the convention!

Last Year Craft Fair

I had not realized that I didn't share my craft fair pictures from October!  It was amazing!  There were many more people than my first craft fair.  I was right in the middle of the main walking path, so I had a lot of people stop and look and ask and buy!  I had more variety in my handmade creations, which did get more attention from different people.  Very glad I decided to do more than just Sock Monkeys.

It was an adventure for sure!  I still don't hate totes, so almost everything was packed into a clean, clear plastic bag ( the bag leftover from the 10 pound box of Poly-fil that I buy), and I have a new table that we re-purposed from a yard sale (bought for a couple of dollars, removed the old wood, and put on a completely new table-top, painted it and awesome!), and some purse racks, also a yard sale find.  Once there and the sun was up, I realized that I had forgotten to get change!  Thankfully, my Mother-in-Law was there to bring me coffee and offered to get me some change.  So sweet!  Although she did think I was silly to continue to fuss over and re-arrange my items in my booth, I was glad she was there to help.  She didn't stay long, but she was very encouraging.   The folks running the craft fair were so organized, and even gave all the vendors a little "goody bag" that was decorated by elementary school kids, and had some little packaged crackers, a bite size candy, bottled water, and a tax form.  Loved it!  As the day went on, the only things I didn't sell were my purses, and my pillows.  Almost all of my Sock Monkeys were gone, I only had 2 Sock Pigs left, and I made my money back from the vendor fee times two!  Even though I was still not feeling better, I am so glad I did it.  The weather was perfect, and the people were really nice.

 From this trip I have learned a few more things.  

1. I do need plastic totes to keep my inventory in for easy packing & unpacking.

2. I should get my change a few days in advance.

3. What sells great on my Etsy, does not sell as well in person.

4. I need to stop being so shy, and greet everyone and smile, and not sit back in hopes they come to me.

5. I need to try to make my booth look more crafty and less "garage sale".

6.  I need to have a money apron. A cash box is great, but a money apron is so much more convenient.

7. Stay hydrated, and know where the available bathrooms are before hand.

I'm sure there is more, but these are the ones that stick out.  How I feel about the craft fair experience isn't just about the money.  If you can make your fees back, and make more or as much money as you would have if you had worked your regular job that day if ideal.  But the most important part is sharing your love of what you make with others.  A lot of people looked over my things and said "You made this by hand?"  "This looks beautiful!"  "You are very talented" and even the ones that didn't purchase anything made my day.  It was all about breaking away from my comfort zone f hiding behind the internet and breathing is the fresh air, smelling all the wonderful foods from the many food vendors, and looking someone else in the eye and see them smile.  Some would reminisces about my Original Sock Monkeys, having had one made by mothers or grandmothers when they were children, and I like to think I gave them a little piece they may have lost, and helped bring a little more joy into their day.  I may be over reaching, but it does make me feel good to inspire another person to smile a real, authentic, heartfelt smile.

Thank you for reading and letting me share my craft experiences with you.

Necklaces?

Yep, I know.  I started sewing Sock Monkeys and have evolved into doing something completely different!  My son had purchased a necklace for his girlfriend and I loved how cool it looked so me being me, I researched on how it was done.  I bought a "kit" from an Etsy shop and made a few before deciding that I wanted to add these cute fandom-related necklaces to my inventory!  At first I was thinking I would just sell them at craft fairs, kind of another thing to catch someone's eye & get them to looking at everything, but I added a few to my Etsy shop anyway.

Not to worry!  I am still a Sock Monkey maker. Even when I stop selling, I will always be making Sock Monkeys as gifts or just to keep me busy.  For now, however, I am enjoying my journey and already getting excited about the oncoming craft fair season.  I will be posting more tutorials on my YouTube when I get some other projects done that I am doing for other people.  But for now my gaols are to raise up my inventory for Craft Fairs as Christmas sales from Etsy about wiped me out!  And yes, that is a GOOD thing!

First Sale Doctrine

I have been reading on some Etsy forums and seeing the back-and-forth bickering of people who are not 100% informed telling everyone else they are wrong and how they know best.  What's funny is most of these opinionated folks don't even sew things, but re-sale vintage items.  I've done a lot of research because I sew purses and lanyards, and a few other things from licensed fabric and I do sell them.  Looking at this logically, why would anyone buy licensed fabric to begin with, unless they were only making it for friends and family?  And if that was, in fact, the only reason to buy this fabric, Millions less would be sold, and the companies making the fabric would severely lose out.  All you have to do is Google any sort of licensed fabric and you will see a lot of items, handmade, not mass produced, for sale.

My favorite resource to explain how it is LEGAL to sell an item made from a fabric that is licensed, is Whatthecraft She basically points out what the First Sale Doctrine means, especially when it comes to buying a pattern and selling what you made from that pattern.  Fabric is the same, even though some companies would rather have you believe that when you try to sell that cute child dress from their licensed Minnie Mouse fabric is violating some law, it isn't.  But she does warn that is you list these items on Etsy, they will more often than not take your store or items down if there is a complaint, even if it is unfounded

Direct and simple quote from another Blog  called "DearRichBlog" that tell sit like it is to those naysayers:
"Thanks to the first sale doctrine, if you bought copyrighted fabric, you're free to make it into a product and resell that product. You're also free to photograph that product and reproduce that photo as part of an ad when selling the item. A disclaimer won't hurt but it's not required.
What about the statement on the fabric? The statement -- for personal use only -- is wishful thinking on the manufacturer's part. Unless you affirmatively agreed (signed something, clicked "I Agree" or made some other indication of assent) at the time you purchased the fabric, such a statement would not be binding on you.
What you can't do ... If the fabric is an infringement, that is, an imitation made without permission of the manufacturer, you'll run into problems. In that case, the copyright owner can stop your uses whether you knew or should have known it was infringing. You may also run into problems if you create fabric from found imagery that is still protected under copyright. In that case you're infringing the image owner's right to create derivatives."
And the best site I have found with extensive information is Tabberone.  They even openly call out those same opinionated Etsy posters.  To quote their site:
"First Sale Doctrine:  When someone releases fabric into the stream of commerce they effectively have relinquished control over the uses of that fabric. What we find disturbing is that there are so many people who want to believe that a pattern manufacturer or a fabric manufacturer has the right to tell you what you can and cannot do after you buy their product. It just isn't so. Imagine if General Motors tried to tell you where and when to drive a vehicle you purchased from them. Would you listen to them? Of course not!"

So, yeah, if anyone give you a hard time, and they just may, but likely won't remind them that the First Sale Doctrine gives you legal permission to sell an item made from a pattern or licensed fabric. Some say you should post or make it clear by having a disclaimer, but legally, you are not required to, so you can if it makes you feel better about selling your item.

I posted this info mostly for me so I could keep an easy way to pull up these resources if anyone asks, but I also felt in necessary to share since I keep seeing so much wrong information out there.  If after reading all these resources you are still not sure and are concerned about this, you should talk to a lawyer.


I am in no way a lawyer or giving anyone legal advice!  I am just citing some sources to try to raise awareness in the ever growing world of selling handmade goods.  Do not take my word for law, and do your own research, and if all else fails, consult a lawyer.

Sock Bat

Halloween is just around the corner! I have been wanting to try making a Sock Bat for my Sister-In-Law for a while now.  I am hoping to attend a craft fair in the middle of October so I figure why not give it a try?  The results are so amazingly cute I can't wait to see ho many people take one home!

I was having a hard time finding plain black socks, believe it or not, so I'm hoping I can get a hold of more to make a BUNCH of these cute Bats!  I'm also going to make more Sock Owls because I think they are just as adorable, but having the same problem finding socks that fit the "Owl Look".  Trying to get all stocked up for this Fair coming up has been a little challenging since I'm having a few health problems, but I'm not going to let that stop me. I have way too much fun sewing and creating new things to share with the world so I do hope I start feeling better.  Even if I didn't sell a single thing, I would still be sewing for fun.

What Have I Been Working On

I have been getting busy in my sewing room! Even though I haven' not been feeling well for about a month, I am trying to get up enough stuff to be able to go to a craft fair in the middle of October.  I am so excited since I haven't felt well enough to go to any of the fairs over the summer.  BUT this one should be awesome!

While I am still most definitely making Sock Monkeys, Sock Owls, Sock Cats, Sock Bunny, Sock Bears, and have an all out Sock Zoo going on, I love making purses and expanding my inventory.  While I know it seems like I am focusing on the geeky side of fandom, I do have many other types of purses and accessories that I want to share!  Here are a few photos of what I have been working on.

Keep a look out at my ETSY store & follow me on Twitter & Facebook to see when and where I will be selling my handmade double stitched Sock Monkeys & more!

Work Work Work

So far this has been a very interesting year! My job has been bouncing me back and forth with hours, and although I do work at home, it drives me crazy when they call me at 3am asking me to work more!  One of the perks of self employment.  Living in Georgia, the weather has been chaotic at best, and my kids have spent more time at home than at school (it seems).  We had a few setback because of the weather & had to fix somethings around the house, and so more chaos.  I am still trying to get my sewing room in order, still trying to put away Christmas decorations (yes, in February, did I mention the chaos?), and I continue to feel disappointed in myself when I don't get things done when & how I wanted to.  I have a lot of plans of making more varieties of items to sell at both the craft fairs and my Etsy store, and now I have all the materials I need, but am just lacking the time.  One thing I know is that I need to set aside a specific time every day, or every week to devote to sewing. 

My goal for this year is to sell at least 2 craft fairs, add purses, totes, coin purses and fandom related things to my inventory, and find a good way to organize all of my fabric in my sewing room.  That may not sound like a lot, but I seem to be having difficulty balancing work, kids, life, and my sewing.  I thought that after band season was over, things would calm down a little, but we can never plan for all the unexpected things in life.  And that is what makes life so wonderful.  Despite the setbacks, despite the plans that fall through, all of it is what makes life more interesting.  you wake up every morning ready to see what challenges, if any, you will face.  I admit, I have not felt that positive about all the chaos and all the setbacks, but I realized that those are the things that make up all of our lives.  Sometimes we do not meet our goals, sometimes we do.  If everything, always, went according to our plans, I would be bored.

So my plans for the next month or so are:

1. Have more Sock Pals stocked up
2. Make several purses, & bags
3. Start "Story Time With Sock Monkey" YouTube videos
4. Keep my Sewing Room as organized as possible
5. Decide Which Craft Fairs I want to have a booth at
6. Blog more!

I swear I have lists of lists to keep as reminders and as motivators, but I am allowing myself to not dwell on the goals not achieved, but instead be more positive about the future, because the future is always unexpected.